Custody
by Nonnihil Scelestus
Summary: Donnie and Jordan get custody of her nieces and nephew while planning their wedding. Sequel to Escape.


**Disclaimer: I dont own the characters I'm just playing.**

**Authors Note: This is the sequel to "Escape"**

**Custody**

After Donnie proposed, Jordan felt obligated to tell all of her friends, the very second she got to work. There was only one problem, she was half and hour early and the only person who was there, was her Lieutenant.

"You're in early, Jordan, what's up?" Van Buren asked when Jordan knocked on the open doorway.

"I had a run-in with my ex-husband and he was wounded…"

"Did you fire the gun?"

"No, which leads me to the other thing I wanted to tell you, Donnie was with me. He shot my ex." Jordan waited for the Lt. to respond.

"So you and Don are together? He's your mystery man? Wow! I didn't expect that. Well no worries then. Don can take care of himself and you. Was there anything else you wanted to tell me?" The Lt. glanced meaningfully at her hand.

"He proposed last night after the fiasco with my ex. We want to get married this summer. I know he's going to ask Lennie to be his best man, and I wondered if you'd be my maid of honor?" Jordan answered.

"Of course I will." The Lt. hugged her close. "Now you'd better go tell the rest of the gang, they're waiting for you out there."

"Thank you." With that Jordan went to break the news to her friends, her family.

**4 months later**

"Donnie, do you have the details on the caterer? I need to make the final arrangements and pay them." Jordan called from the office.

"Yeah, here you are. Do you also want the decorator papers and the things for the cake…person?"

"Yes, please." True to police form, they had everything organized perfectly, well almost perfectly. They were getting married in St. Patrick's and would have the reception at the Hilton. Expensive for a cop's salary, but Jordan used a little bit of the money from her trust fund. Donnie protested, but she convinced him that it should finally be put to use after 20 years of neglect. Donnie sighed in relief, but was still bother by it. He wanted this wedding as much as she did, so he let it go. The phone ringing broke his train of thought. Jordan answered it. He couldn't hear the entire conversation, but he heard her exclamation.

"What?! Where are you? Ok…no, sit tight, I'll be right there. I promise. Ok. I love you too, honey." Jordan ended the call. Donnie heard her rustling around as she picked up her keys and jacket, then her weapon and wallet. She came out a moment later.

"What's going on?" Donnie asked.

"Jasmine, Mikayla, and Arron came down from upstate. Rhiannon and Sean were neglecting them. Jasmine had moved out but the little ones were still there. She packed them onto the train with the last of her money. She wants me to get custody of them. If they've been abused them, I'm inclined to agree. Come on, we've got to go get them."

They drove to the train station and picked up the kids. Arron was asleep on his feet and Jasmine was trying to carry all of the luggage and hold onto both kids. Jordan took Arron, while Donnie picked up all the luggage. Jasmine picked up Mikayla. They were carted to Jordan's SUV. Jasmine sat up front and Jordan sat in the back with Mikayla and Arron. She waited until they were home before getting the whole story out of Jasmine. Donnie too the luggage into one of the spare bedrooms, where he deposited it into a corner. Jordan tucked Arron under a light blanket, and Jasmine put Mikayla down next to him. She had fallen asleep in the car. Jordan gestured for Jasmine to follow her. When they were out in the living room, Jordan pulled her close and hugged her.

"What's going on? What happed with your mom?" Jordan asked. Donnie made himself scarce.

"I don't know exactly. Mom and Dad were gone and I found both of them locked in their rooms. Mikayla said that they had been in there for three days. She had tried to break down the door, or pry open her window , but she couldn't. I asked her where Mom and Dad were and she said that they had gone out a little bit before. I found bottles everywhere, and there wasn't any food. So I packed all their clothes and stuffed animals into the suitcases and took them home with me. I got some clothes together and told my boss I had an emergency. He fired me on the spot. I'll go back and get the stuff out of my apartment when I can, but I was so worried about the kids. Mika has hand bruises on each arm and Arron has one on his back as well as a couple of welts. It looks like Dad hit him with his belt." Jasmine finished as tears poured down her cheeks.

"Its ok, you did good. You did the right thing. How could she? Did she ever hit you? Do you know when it started?" Jordan asked.

"They never hit me, but they never took great care of me. I guess it started sometime after I left because I was taking care of them for the most part before. I had to leave because Mom kicked me out." Jasmine sobbed harder. Jordan quieted her and hugged her again.

"Ok, here's what we're going to do. We'll take pictures of all the marks. I'll have Donnie take your statement from you. That means you have to tell him everything you told me and then write it down and sign it, ok?" Jasmine nodded. "Then we'll have Mikayla and Arron tells us what happened too. We'll do this in the morning. We'll go to work with Donnie because his precinct deals with children. Then we'll go to a judge and get a warrant for you Mom and Dad to be arrested. We'll also get emergency custody for the little ones. OK? No more worries. I'll take care of everything. Come on, let's get you to bed." Jordan bustled her off to bed and went to sit with Donnie on their balcony.

"This has been a terrible day." Jordan said as she leaned her head on his solid shoulder.

"Yeah it has. Let's not make it worse. Let's go to bed and get some rest. Tomorrow's going to be just as bad." She knew Donnie was right, so she nodded in agreement and shed her day clothes in favor of pajamas and crashed into bed next to him. She snuggled close, but she couldn't quite go to sleep. Too many thoughts still plagued her, like how much she truly hated her sister for what she had done to the kids. With a sigh, she willed the thoughts away and forced herself into slumber. Tomorrow was going to hell without the added exhaustion of a sleepless night.

The first thing the next morning, Jordan and Donnie took the kids to the precinct. They were introduced to the detectives and Donnie too their statements and had Detective Benson take photos of the bruises on each child. Next they called the DA's office and had Alex Cabot. With the current evidence, they would be able to try the Michaels in court without effort. A warrant was issued and Rhiannon and Sean Michaels were brought in on charges of child abuse and neglect.

Custody Hearing: 3 Days Before The Wedding 

Jordan was running late. She had tried to get away from the courtroom and the reporters sooner but they seemed to be everywhere. All she anted to do was be there for her nieces and nephew. Making sure it was the right room; Jordan ducked in but didn't succeed in not being noticed.

"You're late Detective." The judge called from his seat.

"I apologize your honor, I was testifying on one of my cases." Jordan answered looking appropriately contrite.

"No worries this time. Take you seat." The judge smiled kindly. Jordan sat next to Donnie, where the prosecutor would normally sit, but this was a juvenile court and Alex was there as normal counsel. "Ms. Cabot, what are the charges?"

"Child abuse and neglect, 2 counts each for each parent." She answered.

"Very well and where are the children staying until this matter is resolved?"

"With their aunt and uncle, Detective Taylor and Captain Cragen."

"I have the photos before me and the transcript and copy of Miss Jasmine Michaels statement as well as those from Mikayla and Arron. The evidence is quite compelling. What do you have to say for yourselves Mr. And Mrs. Michaels?"

"We never wanted them anyway. Stupid kids, always messing things up. I'm glad they're gone." Their lawyer was shaking his head trying to get them to stop talking, but it didn't work.

"You seem quite happy to be rid of them and I'm going to be quite happy to sentence each of you to 10 years in prison without the opportunity for parole. Now for custody. Detective Taylor, you seem to provide a stable presence for these children, but I'm concerned that both of you are cops and will have late nights and early mornings, or days when you aren't home at all. What are your contingency plans?" Before Jordan could speak, Jasmine said,

"I would be there to help out too. I'm 18 and I'm finished with high school. I can pick them up after school and help them with their homework when Aunt J cant be there."

"I want Jasmine to live with us as well. She needs to go to college without having to work through it, like I did. She doesn't need that burden. We have an arrangement for her to pick the kids up from school and I've made arrangements to be home early with my lieutenant until everything is running smoothly. I really would like to keep the kids with me. We're the last bit of family we have.

"And how do you propose to pay for college on a detectives salary?"

"I have a trust fund that my parents left me when they passed away. I was 16 at the time. I haven't used any of it other than a small amount for my house and the wedding. Also I started a college fund for each of the kids when they were born. There's enough in each for all of them to go to any college they want to."

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph, how much did they leave you?" The judge muttered to himself, forgetting to cover the microphone.

"A little of 10.5" Jordan said quietly. Unfortunately you could have heard a pin drop and so everyone (not may people considering it was closed proceedings) heard her.

"10.5 million? Dear Lord in heaven." The judge cleared his throat. "Well, back to the task at hand. This arrangement with Jasmine seems viable. I'm entitled to grant you full custody right away. You will have visits from a social worker once a month for a year, just to be one the safe side. Dismissed."

Both Jordan and Donnie sighed in relief. They would have custody of the kids and Rhiannon wouldn't have a prayer at getting them back. Now if they could get through the wedding and the reception full of cops, lawyers and other legal officials, they could do anything.


End file.
